But before we resume our regular schedule of posts, we wanted to direct your attention to this piece by Slow Wine California senior editor Elaine Brown, “After the Fires.”

Elaine lives with her daughter in Sonoma proper and they were among those forced to flee in the face of deadly and devastating wildfires this month. Their house is still standing and they will ultimately be able to return home.

But the scope of destruction (“the most destructive wildfire in the history of California,” according to the Wikipedia entry) is difficult to grasp for those of us “not on the ground.” As of October 26, 36,807 acres had burned (according to Wikipedia). Precious lives have been lost and thousands upon thousands of structures have been burned to the ground. Those who live and work in northern California wine country face immense challenges as they work to put their lives and businesses back together.

In her post, Elaine asks us to “Please help the North Coast rebuild in whatever ways you can. Keep buying California wine, especially from Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, or Lake County, all of which were impacted by these fires. If you ever travel through the region, please consider buying gift certificates for your favorite locally owned businesses so they can get the funds now, and you can enjoy them when you next visit.”

She also offers her recommendations for where to donate to relief efforts.